How did Pro-Putin/Isolationists Tulsi Gabbard, Greenwald & Jill Stein Fall From Favor in the Left...

[TomCADem]

...while folks pushing similar talking points on the right like Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz, MTG, and Lauren Boebert suddenly become the Republican mainstream? Indeed, you can often fine folks Gabbard and Greenwald being featured on right wing shows like Tucker Carlson in order to Democrats from the left with talking points that seem remarkably similar to the pro-Putin talking points that are now fairly common on the Republican side. What happened?

There was once a time when Republicans defined themselves by standing up to Russia with Democrats being attacked for being communists who could not defend the U.S. and the world from Russian expansionism. But perhaps after Trump rode a Russian social media fueled rise to the Presidency in 2016 that was premised on isolationism, criticizing international trade and NATO, and anti-immigration rhetoric, other Republicans have realized that riding a similar wave will guarantee a certain baseline of support (both real and manufactured) from the Republican's Russian/racist base.

On the left, in 2016, it was popular to attack Democratic leaders as being "pro-establishment," with "progressives" also riding a tide of isolationism to attack the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which excluded China in order to counter China's growing influence in the Pacific rim. Ironically, these attacks on TPP were echoed by Trump who also attacked Democrats for not being sufficiently "tough" on China. Of course, with the defeat of the TPP, China's influence grew.

What is amazing is that with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its threats of escalation to Europe, you would have expected Putin's allies on the right and far left to temper their support of Russia. Yet, while Tulsi Gabbard and Jill Stein no longer enjoy the support they used to have on the left, Putin supporters on the right have continued to increase their control of the Republican party, which is just amazing.

The question for 2024 will be who on the Republican side will make a deal with the devil and be the first to take a very pro-Russian/anti-NATO platform to secure Russian social media support? With Elon Musk taking over twitter, this would seem to guarantee that whoever is most outspoken in their support of Putin would likely gain a boost from Russian social media efforts.

Conversely, who will be Tulsi Gabbard's heir apparent who will sell out and push pro-Putin/Tucker Carlson type talking points in order to develop a social media base of support? It probably can't be Tulsi Gabbard, since she has so clearly sold out by appearing on RW media and at Republican campaign events to attack Democrats such that it is easy to forget that she was once considered to rising star on the left.

If anything, with the Ukraine War going on, there will not be much reason for Russia to retrain itself in its efforts to interfere with the 2024 election, particularly since you have so many Republicans who are brazen in their embrace of pro-Putin rhetroic.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/04/the-gops-new-russia-friendly-campaign-trail-buddy-tulsi-gabbard-00065024

The GOP's new, Russia-friendly campaign-trail buddy: Tulsi Gabbard

Republicans once slammed Tulsi Gabbard as a socialist seeking to appease dictators like Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin. These days, much of the GOP is embracing her.

Since the former Hawaii Democratic congresswoman made a public show of her decision to leave the party last month, she has gone on to endorse several top Republicans in the run-up to next week’s midterm elections. Some GOP candidates appearing with Gabbard — who previously defended Putin’s rationale for invading Ukraine — have echoed Donald Trump’s opposition to helping Kyiv beat back Moscow.

Republicans across the ideological spectrum are eagerly accepting Gabbard’s endorsement and even hosting her for rallies in their home states, arguing her departure from the Democratic Party bolsters their view that it has moved too far to the left.

But the GOP’s unapologetic embrace of Gabbard is particularly conspicuous as its leaders try to dispel the notion that they’re not tough enough on Russia amid a sharp internal divide over aiding Ukraine. It also comes as questions mount over whether a Republican-controlled House would continue to approve funding for Ukraine’s defense and humanitarian needs.

[mahina]

1. She always sucked and we never trusted her. (We being progressives in Hawaii).

She was so mean to gay people it was hideous

She was homeschooled her whole life, was raised in a cult, lies like she breathes, and has an incredible ability to figure out what peoples emotional buttons are so she can hit those and not bother being asked about policy afterwards. It really is astonishing to witness. Because of that, one particular characteristic, I find her extremely dangerous. She is not to be underestimated.

[nycbos]

2. This is who they have always been.

[Cha]

5. Exactly.. they just Fooled a Lot

of people.

Not me.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. How? Their rhetoric changed.

The stuff they said before changed. For whatever reason, and I have no way of knowing why, they went from pro-socialist to pro-Putin. I imagine there are reasons why, but I can't explain it.

[TomCADem]

8. I Think Putin Just Hijacked The Republican Disinformation Machine

Last edited Mon Dec 26, 2022, 10:30 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't think that Putin necessarily favors the right or the left and perhaps originally, the left was targeted, since a key part of Republican platform used to be pro-defense and resisting Russian expansionism. However, in order to justify efforts to limit regulation and taxes, as well as promote voter apathy, Republicans have long encouraged Americans not to trust their Government. Ironically, one of Reagan's most quoted lines was: “The top 9 most terrifying words in the English Language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.”

Thus, Republicans created an ideal environment for a campaign that is built on misinformation and distrust. On the left, you did have the "anti-establishment" talking point that was very popular in 2016, but the left simply did not have the same right wing media propaganda bubble that the right has built over the past few decades. Now, Republicans have created a monster that they cannot control.

In short, even the most paranoid progressive generally believes in providing more governmental services, so there is a certain tension in terms of getting progressives to totally abandon faith in the American system of government. In contrast, it is easy to push Republican constituents over the edge such that they are ready to overthrow a government that Fox and other right wing outlets have conditioned them not to trust.

https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2022-02-25/heres-what-putins-disinformation-war-looks-like-on-the-internet

As Russian bombs and cruise missiles rocked cities across Ukraine early Thursday morning, another front in the long-simmering conflict was erupting. The internet quickly became a battlefield in its own right, with propaganda and disinformation threatening to muddy the water for Americans following the crisis from afar.

Digital disinformation has long been a favorite tactic of the Kremlin’s — as Americans learned via the proliferation of “fake news” during the 2016 presidential election — and the Ukraine crisis is proving to be no exception. Over the last few days, researchers have warned that President Vladimir Putin’s regime is pushing, and will continue to push, false narratives aimed at justifying its aggression.

At least some of those narratives are finding purchase among an American public divided by previous waves of disinformation, said Graham Brookie, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. “What we see … is not an insignificant amount of organic audience engagement from U.S. citizens that are predisposed to have their previously held beliefs reinforced by Russian disinformation.”

For instance, he said, anti-vaccine groups that are already skeptical of the U.S. government are now primed to disbelieve the official U.S. government narrative around Ukraine.

[OAITW r.2.0]

9. Irony is amazing.

What Reagan professed is what, we today, know as bullshit. We are the government...and we are antifascist. Sucks to be your Republican Party, Ron. But we never bought your bullshit.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

4. Many people who attempt to claim they are "progressives" are not progressive in the least,

but are instead far-left populist-nativist isolationists, and many of them have a soft-spot for Vladamir Putin and other tyrants.

This is nothing new.

[Hortensis]

10. True. Not all certainly, but many. Progressivism is positive! :)

Positive, progressive action in government requires using "the establishment" to take that action. Factions that insist establishments, party or government, must be replaced before progressivism is possible are deceiving people about their goals and who they are. Whatever that is, it's not positive movement to address the people's issues. They'll be pro-Putin if they think he's helping them against Democrats, as he did in 2016.

Populist movements can espouse any ideology, anything from theocratic to socialist, Progressive to MAGA, etc. and also change with the leader. Ideology is not all that important to followers; acting out their signature antagonism toward "the establishment" is, and again their ideology can embrace Putin if they think he's helping them against Democrats.

I'd add to that list "authoritarian" as well. Since it played such a role in 2016, the existence of LW authoritarianism has been established. At that time it was observed by many (including me as an amateur) but had not scientifically specifically studied and confirmed before.

Authoritarians, right and left wing, have a great deal in common, beyond uber-fealty to their leader and belief that whatever he does is right. They make great attack mobs and would rush to righteously attack the same behaviors in anyone else, without caring in the least about the dissonance.

Of course authoritarians tend to admire Putin: Putin would have locked her up.

[bronxiteforever]

6. Axis Tulsi, the Kremlin's mouthpiece

[Behind the Aegis]

7. Listen to Rachel Maddow's "Ultra".

You will be transfixed, all the while asking, "Did she really mean to say Putin?" "Silvershirts? Did she MAGA Red Hats?"

What was old is new again!